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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wind — moving air
  3. chip — for betting
  4. present — the time now
  5. mark — a grade
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. net — for catching
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. wind — moving air
  12. current — happening now
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. net — in sport
  16. chip — to eat
  17. club — a group
  18. mark — a trace
  19. current — electric
  20. club — for dancing
  21. current — of water
  22. club — for golf
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. jam — to spread on bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com